Driving mechanism for graphic recording instruments.



- 0. WHITE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAPHC RECORDING INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED 061114. 1916.

Patented 00$. 22, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI i.

0. WHITE. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAPHIC RECORDING INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I4, I9I6- Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

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0. WHITE. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAPHIC RECORDING INSTRUMENTS.

APPUCATION FILED OCT; 14. I916. Lfififififi i, N Patented Oct.22,1918.

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OTIS WHITE, 0]? SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR TO SANGAMO ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAPHIC RECORDING INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct; 22, 1918..

Application filed October 14, 1916. Serial No. 125,733.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Orrs WHITE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Graphic Recording Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawmgs.

My invention relates to chronometricallycontrolled driving mechanism for operating such instruments as graphic recording electricity meters, chronographs, and analogous instruments, in which it is necessary to employ motor mechanism to furnish the driving power, and to control such motor mechanism so that the instrument will operate at a predetermined rate of speed. It has for one of its objects to provide improved motor mechanism of the character mentioned, in which the rate of operation of such motor mechanism may be very accurately controlled, and to this end to relieve the chronometric part of such motor mechanism from all work except that of controlling the rate of operation of the devices'driven by such motor mechanism. Another objectis to provide motor mechanismof the character indicated which may be readily arranged to operate the driven element or elements at a variety of speeds. A further object is to provide a unitary driving device which may readily be applied'inte rally to any suitable device to be driven, and also to provide certain improvements in the construction of devices of the character referred to which will be more particularly pointed out in connection with the description and operation of the apparatus shown.

While my improved motor mechanism is well adapted for use in a variety of ways and with many different instruments, for the purposes of this application I have shown it applied to a graphic recording instrument like that shown and described in an application for patent filed of even date herewith by Herbert W. Young and myself, Serial No. 125,730. Such instrument, generally speaking, comprises a suitable base, at the front of which is removably applied a frame which carries a cylindrical platen and two rolls, one of said rolls carrying a supply of paper in the form of a web or ribbon, the th r bei g a r winding r011 upon which the ribbon or chart is rewound after it has traveled over the platen and received a record made thereon by a stylus. This stylus is suspended from a rod or support arranged parallel with the platen and carried by two parallel arms which swing over the platen so as to move the stylus longitudinally thereof. The movement of such arms is controlled electrically and corresponds with the variations or fluctuations indicated by the record made on the chart or paper ribbon. Power to drive the platen and also the rewinding roller is furnished by suitable motor mechanism mounted in a housing at one end of the removable chartholding frame, and provision is made for automatically connecting the platen with such motor mechanism when the chart-holding frame is locked in operative position and for disconnecting the platen from such mo tor mechanism when the chart-holding frame is unlocked preparatory to its removal. In the arrangement illustrated in the drawings the motor mechanism which forms the subject-matter of this application is employed to drive the platen and the rewinding roll.

In the drawin s,

Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, front and side views of the graphic recording instrument referred to;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, illustrating one side of the motor mechanism; v

Fig. 4 is a detail, being a partial vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 5 is a detail showing a modification of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an underside view of the parts shown in Fig; 5;

Fig. 7 is a view of the opposite side of the motor mechanism from that shown in Fig. 3, parts of the frame being broken away;

Fig. 8 is an edge view of the upper part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a partial vertical section on line 9-9 of Fig. 7

Referring to the drawings,

10 indicates the base of the recording in strument, 11 the removable chart-holding frame, 12 the platen, 13 the feed-r0ller, 14 the rewinding roller, and 15 the chart. It will be understood that by the rotation of the platen 12, and the sprocket-wheel 16 asessia ed therew t the Chart 15 is drawn off trically-operated thefeed-roller 13, and after passing down over the platen 12 is rewound on the rewinding roller 14-. The latter roller is driven from the platen 12 by means of suitable pulleys and a belt, as fully set forth in the White and Young application above referred to. As the devices used for transinitting power to other parts of the recording instrument are no partof the invention which forms the subject-matter of this application, it is not believed to'be necessary to illustrate and describe them in detail herein. 17 indicates the stylus by which a record is madeon the chart. 15; 18 indicates the swinging arms from which the stylus is sus pended; 19 indicates the housing of elecmotor mechanism for swinging the arms 18; and 20 indicates damping magnets supported by the base and cooperating with the electrically-operated motor mechanism to control the swinging of said arms. These devices also form no part of the subject-matter of this application, and therefore they need not be specifically described. It will be suliicient to say that the stylus 17 may readily be detached and the chart-holding frame 11 can then be removed by drawing it forward upon rods 21 secured to the base 10 and projecting therefrom, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. lVhen the chart-holding frame 11 is in operative position, it is arranged to be locked therein by means of a locking disk 22 having a flattened section 23 at its margin, which disk is fitted against the inner surface of one side por tion 24- of the chart-holding frame, as shown in Fig. l. Such side portion registers with a stationary housing 25 attached to the base 10, the arrangement being such that when the disk 21 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, at which time its flattened portion .23 is in line with the margin of the side portion 24 of the chart-holding frame, the latter frame may then be removed, but by rotating said disk, for which purpose a knob 26 is provided, it will overlap the inner margin of the housing 25, thereby preventing the removal of the chart-holding frame. The motor mechanism with which this application has particularly to do is placed within the housing 25 and is arranged to drive the platen 12 through a shaft 27 connected with the platen by a tube 27 so that by the rotation of said shaft the platen and the sprocket-wheels 16 are driven. This shaft is ar 'anged so as to move longitudinally of itself for the purpose of connecting it with or disconnecting it fromthe motor mechanism. One way in which this may be done is shown in Fig. 9 and described in said White and Young application, but any suitable arrangement for the purpose 1I1:I";l)0 employed;

The motor mechanism which forms the subject-matter of this application comprises asaeea two principal elements, one a driving motor, preferably a. spring-operated clockwork motor, and the'other ehronometer which controls the rate of spee'da't which the driving motor operates. In other. words, the chronometer serves as a sort of'escapement which permits the driving motor to actuate the platen only at equal accurately measured time intervals. These intervals, of course, are exceedingly short so that the movement of the chart is practically continuous. The chronometer is so connected with the driving motor that the. latter has no appreciable reactionary effect uponit, and consequently the accuracy of the chronometer is not affected. By thus providing a distinct driving motor. for operating the platen, and controlling the operation ofsuch driving motor by a separate chronometer, it will be apparent that I am able to employ as powerful a driving-motor asmay be neces- -sary, and as delicate a chronometer as may be desirable,.since the chronometer has no work to do except to regulate the rate at which the. driving motor operates. F urthermore, by the use of suitable intermediate connections between. the driving motor and the, platen the rate at which the platen is operated may be varied Without varying the rate of operation of the chronometer.

In the illustrations (see particularly Figs. 3 and 7 28, indicates the ch'ronometer and 29 the main or driving motor, both of which are preferably spring-operated clockwork, 30 indicating the winding pinion of the chronometer and 31 the winding pinion. of the driving motor. As shown in said figures, the pinion 30.1neshes'with'a pinion 32 carried atv the. inner end. of a shaft 33, the outer end of which is squared, as shown at 5 3 1-, and extends into acorrespondinglyshaped socket in av nipple 35 rotatably mounted in the front of thehousing 25, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The pinion 31 of the driving motor meshes with a pinion 86 carried at the inner end of a nipple 37 also bivotally mounted in the front of the housing 25, as shown insaid figures. Thus, both the chronometer and the driving motor may easily be wound by applying a key to the appropriate nipple. As shown in Fig. 7, boththe driving motor and the chronometer are mounted between pillar-plates "3839 of suitable shape to fit in the housmg 25 and to hold the partsof the mecha nism supported thereby in proper position with relation to each other and to the connections with the platen,

The driving motor 29 is operatively connected with and drives a shaft 40, mounted between the plates 3839, by means of a pinion 41 mounted on'said shaft and meshing with agear 12 which forms one of a train of-gears constituting a part of the drivmg motor 2-9. As thesegears are ordipear later. underthe action of the drlving motor'29 1s nary clockwork, they need not-be described in detail. The shaft 40 is arranged to aline with the shaft 27 of the platen 12 when the chart-holding frame is in operative position, as shownin Fig. 9;'and mounted upon the outerend of said shaft 40 is a pinion 43 which carries pins44 adapted to enter suitable holes in a head 45, mounted upon the opposing end of the platen shaft 27, when the latter shaft is extended. In Fig. 9 said shaft. is shown in its retracted position, at which time the outer face of the head does not project beyond the margin of the side portion 24 of the chart-holding frame. The shaft 27 may, however, be projected to the right of the position shown in saidi figure so as to move the head 45 into engagement with the pins 44, thereby locking the shaft 40 to the shaft 27. The pins 44 and the head 45 therefore constitute clutch members by which these two shafts may be operatively connected or disconnected. The purpose of providing the pinion 43 will ap- The rotation of the shaft 40 controlled from the chronometer by the following mechanism :46 indicates a shaft suitably mounted between the plates 3839 and having at its'lower end a worm-wheel 47 which engages and is driven by a worm 48 mounted on a shaft 49, which is driven by the chronometer 2.8 by any suitable gear or train of gears. The pitch of this worm gearing is such thatthe driving of the shaft 46 imposes a very slight burden upon the chronometer, and there is practically no reactionary effect from the action of the driving motor; The shaft 46 is provided at its upper end with a pinion 50 which meshes with a pinion 51 mounted upon a shaft 52 arranged parallel with the shaft 40, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. This shaft 52 also carries a pinion 53 of the same diameter as the pinion 43, but lying in a different parallel plane, as shown in Fig. 8. In the arrangement shown in Figs." 3 and 8 these -pinions 43 and 53 are arranged to beoper- 'atively connected by a wide pinion 54 mounted upon a pivot 55 carried by a detachable frame 56 which is composed of two plates spaced apart by pillars 57. The frame 56 is adapted to bear againststops 58 arranged adjacent to and below the shafts 40 and 52 in such positionthat when'the frame 56 is pressed up against the stops 58 the pinion 54 will mesh with both pinions 43 and 53,

asshown in Fig. 3. The frame 56 is detachably held in such position by a latch 59 pivoted at 60 and. having a knob 61 by which it may be swung upon its pivot into or out of position to hold the frame 56 in operative relation to the pinions 4358.

A pin 62 carried byithe latch 59 projects through a segmental slot63 in the supporting plate 64 which forms a part of the apparent that the main driving motor 29 will tend to rotate the shaft 40 and pinion 43 carried by said shaft, and if rotation pf said pinion were not controlled, it would rotate at a high rate of speed until the driving motor had run down. This, however, does not occur because the pinion 43 is geared to the pinion 53 through the pinion 54, and the rotation of the pinion 53 is controlled by the chronometer through the shaft 46 and pinions 50 and 51. As the rate of rotation of the shaft 46 and pinion 50 is controlled by the chronometer, it follows that the pinion 43 while constantly subjected to the driving power of the driving motor, can rotate only as it is permitted to do so by the rotation. of the pinion 53, and consequently its rate of rotation is accurately controlled by the chronometer. As has been explained, the pinion 43 drives the platen 12, and therefore the chart, being driven by the driving motor 29, moves at a rate controlled by the chronometer. In order to provide for varying the rate at which the chart is advanced without adjusting the chronometer or its connections with the pinion 51, I have shown in Figs. 5 and 6 an arrangement to be used instead of that shown in Figs. 3 and 8. In this alternative construction I use a frame 65 similar to the frame 56 but provided with two pinions 6667 of different diameters, instead of with a single pinion 54. These pinions are mounted upon a shaft 68 so positioned that when the frame 65 is applied to the plate 64 in the manner shown in Fig. 5,

the pinion 66 will mesh with the pinion 53, while. the pinion 67 will mesh with the pin ion 43; or if the frame 65 be reversed, the pinion 67 may be caused to mesh with the pinion 53, while the pinion 66 meshes with the pinion 43. Thus, while the rate of rotation of the pinions 51 and 53 remains un changed, since it is controlled directly by the chronometer. the rate of rotation of the pinion 43 may be varied, thereby varying the rate of movement of the chart. In order to prevent the driving motor from running down when the frame 56 is removed to reverse it, or for any other purpose, the shaft 40 is provided with a ratchet-wheel 69, as

as shown in Fig. 4:, thereby moving the pawl 70 out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 69. When, however, the latch 59 is operated to release the frame 56, the pin 62 moves away from the lever 73, thereby permitting the spring 7 2 to move the pawl 70 into engagei'nent with said ratchet-wheel and lock the shaft 40 against rotation under the action of the driving motor. Thus, the unlocking of the frame 56 automatically locks the shaft 40 against rotation and prevents the driving motor from running down when the frame 56 is out of place.

The driving motor is automatically disconnected from the shaft 27 when the chartholding frame is unlocked, by means of a laterally-swinging arm 74-, as best shown in Fig. 9. Said arm is mounted upon a pivot 75 and is moved laterally by means of a pin 76 eccentric-ally mounted on and projecting from the locking disk 22, as shown in Figs. 4 and 9. Said pin moves in a longitudinal slot 77 in the arm 74. Obviously, by this construction rotation of the disk 22 will swing the arm 74 in one direction or the other. At its upper end said arm engages a groove 78 in the head 45 so that when the arm 74 swings laterally it carries the head 4-5 with it toward or from the pins 44:. As clearly shown in Fig. 9, the arrangement is such that when the disk 22 is rotated to un lock the chart-holding frame from the housing 25, the head 45 is moved out of engagement with the pins 44-, whereas when said disk is turned to its locking position, the head 4-5 is moved into operative engagement with the pins 44, thereby connecting the platen shaft 27 with the shaft 40 and through it with the driving motor.

It will be understood that while I have described in detail the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, my invention may be applied in a variety of other ways and may be used for any purpose for which it is adapted. The claims hereinafter made are therefore not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described, except in so far as such construction is particularly claimed.

The term chronometer as herein used is intended to include any suitable time-measuring instrumentality.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A unitary driving apparatus, comprising a suitable frame, a motor mounted thereon, a chronometer carried by said frame, transmission means actuated by said motor and adapted to be connected with the device to be driven, and worm gearing operated by said chronometer and connected with said transmission means for controlling the speed thereof.

2. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, a chronometer, transmission means actuated by said motor, mechanism controlled by said chronometer for controlling therate of speed of said transmission means, and means whereby the speed of the device driven by said transmission mechanism may be varied without varying the speed of the chronometer.

3. A unitary driving apparatus,comprising a suitable frame, a spring-operated motor mounted thereon, a chronometer carried by said frame, transmission means actuated by said motor and adapted to be connected with the device to be driven, and worm gearing operated by said chronometer for controlling the speed of said transmission means. I

A. A unitary driving apparatus, comprising a suitable frame, a motor mounted thereon, transmission gearing mounted onsaid frame for connecting the motor with the device to be driven, a chronometer carried by said frame, and a Worm driven shaft 0perated by the chronometer and operatively connected with ,said transmission gearing for controlling the speed thereof.-

5. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, transmission gearing. for connecting the motor with the device to be driven, a chronometer, and means operated by the chronometer and operatively connected with said transmission gearing for controlling the speed thereof, said gearingv being adjustable to vary the speed of the device to be driven independently of the chronometer.

6. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, transmission mechanism connected with and actuated by said motor, a chronometer, a worm driven shaft actuated by said, chronometer and adjustable means connecting said shaft with said transmission mechanism for controlling the speed thereof.

7. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, transmission mechanism connected with and actuated by saidmotor, a chronometer, and means actuated by said chronometer and operatively associated With said transmission mechanism for controlling the speed thereof, said means comprising devices adjustable to vary the speed of the device to be driven independently. of the chronometer.

8. A driving apparatus, comprising a suitable frame, a motor mounted thereon, transmission mechanism connected with and actuated by said motor, a chronometer carriedby sald frame in fixed relation to said motor,

a shaft, a Worm-Wheel mounted thereon, a

worm driven by the chronometer and engaging said worm-Wheel, and means for controlling the speed of said transmission mech anism by the speed of said shaft.

9. A driving apparatus, comprising a suitable frame, a motor mounted thereon, transmission mechanism connected With and actuated. by said'motor, a chronometer car ried by said frame in fixed relation to said motor, a shaft, a worm-wheel mounted thereon, a worm driven by the chronometer and engaging said worm-wheel, and means car ried by said shaft and operatively connected with said transmission mechanism for regulating the speed thereof.

10. A driving apparatus, comprising a suitable frame, a motor mounted thereon, transmission mechanism connected with and actuated by said motor, a chronometer carried by said frame in fixed relation to said motor, a shaft, a worm-wheel mounted thereon, a worm driven by the chronometer and engaging said worm-wheel, and gearing connecting said shaft with said transmission mechanism whereby the speed of saidtransmission mechanism will be controlled by the speed of said shaft.

11. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, transmission mechanism connected with and actuated by said motor, a chronometer, a shaft, a worm-wheel mounted thereon, a worm driven by the chronometer and engaging said worm-wheel, and adjustable means-between said transmission mechanism and said shaft for varying the speed of'salii ld transmission mechanism independently; 'of the speed of said shaft. v

12. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, transmission mechanism connected with and actuated by said motor, a chronometer, a shaft, a worm-wheel mounted thereon, a worm driven by the chronometer and engaging said worm-wheel, and adjustable gearing connecting said shaft with said transmission mechanism whereby the speed of said transmission mechanism will be controlled by the speed of said. shaft, and the speed of said transmission mechanism may be adjusted independently of the speed of said shaft.

13. A driving apparatus, comprising a suitable frame, a motor mounted thereon, a pinion connected with and driven by said motor, a chronometer carried by said frame in fixed relation to said motor, a second pinion operatively connected with said firstmentioned pinion, and a worm driven shaft operated by the chronometer for controlling the rotation of said second pinion.

14. A driving apparatus, comprising a. motor, a pinion connected with and driven by said motor, a chronometer, a pinion, means operated by the chronometer for controlling the rotation of the latter pinion, and detachable means for operatively connecting said pinions.

15. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, a pinion connected with and driven by said motor, a chronometer, a pinion,

means operated by the chronometer for controlling the rotation of the latter pinion,

and means operatively connecting said pinions and adjustable to vary the speed of said first-mentioned pinion. I

16. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, a pinion connected with and driven by said motor, a chronometer, a pinion, means operated by the chronometer for controlling the rotation of the latter pinion, a detachable support, and a gear carried thereby and adapted to connect said pinions when said support is in operative position.

17. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, a pinion connected with and driven by said motor, a chronometer, a pinion, means operated by the chronometer for controlling the rotation of the latter pinion, a detachable support, and a pair of gears carried thereby and adapted when said supporteis in operative position to operatively connect said pinions, said support being reversible to vary the speed of said first-mentioned pinion.

18. The combination of a motor, a chronometer, chart supporting devices, means for connecting said chart supporting devices with said motor independently of the chronometer, and means operated by said chronometer for controlling the speed of said chart supporting devices.

19. The combination of a motor, a chronometer, chart supporting devices, separable means for connecting said chart supporting devices with said motor independently of the chronometer, and means operated by said chronometer for controlling the speed of said chart supporting devices.

20. The combination of a spring-operated motor, a driven member, means for connecting said driven member with said motor, a chronometer, means operated by said chronometer for controlling the speed of said driven member, and means for varying the speed of the driven member independently of the chronometer.

21. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, a pinion connected with and driven by said motor, a chronometer, a second pinion, means operated by the chronometer for controlling the rotation of said second pinion, a removable gear for connecting said pinions, means for locking said gear in operative position, and means for automatically locking said first-mentioned pinion against rotation when said gear is unlocked.

22. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, a pinion connected with and driven by said motor, a chronometer, a second pinion, detachable means for connecting said pinions, and means for locking said motor against operation. a

23. A driving apparatus, comprising a motor, a pinion connected with and driven ,by said motor, a chronometer, a second pinion, means operated by the chronometer for controlling the rotation of said second pinion, a removable gear for connecting said pinions, a latch for locking said gear in operative position, and means operated by said latch for locking and unlocking the motor.

24. A driving device, comprising a motor, a shaft connected with and driven by said motor, a ratchet-wheel mounted on said shaft, a pawl adapted to cooperate with said ratchet-wheel, a pinion mounted on said shaft, a chronometer, a second pinion, means operated by said chronometer for controlling the rotation of said second pinion, a detachable device for connecting said pinions, a latch for holding said connecting device in operative position, and means operated by said latch for actuating said pawl to release said ratchet-wheel when said connecting device is in operative position and to permit it to engage said ratchet-Wheel when said connecting device is out of operative position.

25. The combination of asuitab-le frame, a motor mounted thereon, a driven member, means connecting the motor with the driven member, a ehronometer carried by said frame, a shaft associated With said driven member for controlling the speedthereof, a worm-wheel mounted on said shaft, and a Worm driven by the chronometer and meshing with said worm-wheel.

26. A graphic recording instrument, comprising a base, a motor carried thereby, chart-moving means mounted on the base and actuated by said motor, and means carried by said base independently of said chart moving means for locking the motor against operation.

OTIS WHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

